Update: GoFundMe page is setup for the victim's family. https://www.gofundme.com/patterson219
QUINTON, Okla. -- It took hours overnight Monday to shut off gas and let flames die down before bringing the medical examiners on site.
Tuesday afternoon an investigation began, and the five bodies were found in a landing area. The Pittsburg County Sheriff said survivors are in shock.
"From what I was told from many of the survivors there was an explosion. They heard a loud boom, they'd seen fire... and they ran. Everyone was just trying to survive," Sheriff Chris Morris said.
Emergency management said the one man transported for burns on Monday only barely escaped the flames, getting down from the top of the facility just in time.
"They have a zipline that they go down in case something like this was to happen. That's their emergency escape to get off the rig. And that's what he used, is that zipline to get down," director Kevin Enloe said.
On Tuesday crews confirmed their fears that five men died in the area where the explosion likely began.
"The bodies were found pretty much in the location where they were presumed to have been working in, last working in, in what they call the doghouse. It was so hot in that area where the fire initially started," Sheriff Morris said.
The cause is still unknown, and OSHA will likely be joined by other federal agencies to investigate in the days ahead. This is a new drill site that has not experienced a fire in the past, but emergency teams do not believe there is a risk to the public.
"Those locations are designed to contain as much as possible onto that location. At this time I wouldn't comment as to if anything has left location," Enloe said.
On Tuesday Patterson management said they have had safety violations over the past few years, but they are considered to be leaders for safety in their industry.
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